Cricket: This match isn't over - we're still fighting to win

AUSTRALIA have not become the best Test cricket team in the world without believing always that, however bad things might look, we can still turn it round.

And that's why I reckon that there's still a very interesting morning to play before this match is settled.

Our attitude is always that it won't be over until the last run is scored or last wicket taken and we are keeping positive.

It's been hard to gauge the mood in our dressing room. Obviously we are disappointed, we came off thinking we'd bowled very well. Shane Warne in particular was outstanding.

And Brett Lee (below) with his first spell in the morning when he ripped out three wickets for four runs in 11 balls was magnificent. It had the English players on the hop, so we came off thinking we'd done a pretty good job.

We got off to a reasonable start, then unfortunately just lost wickets on a regular basis. That kept putting us on the back foot.

There was just some good bowling and sometimes there's not much you can do about it. That's the way it is.

But even yesterday the pendulum swung a few times and that's the beauty of Test cricket. That's why everyone loves it so much, one minute a team can seemingly be beaten and the next it has all changed.

I can remember being 90-5 against India a couple of years ago and Adam Gilchrist came out and hit a run-a-ball 100 which set up that game.

It won't be easy today, we know that, but we also know that it isn't over. The fact we've done that sort of thing before leaves a feeling that we can always pull it out.

People will say we've missed Glenn McGrath in this match, and let's face it, any team that loses a guy who has taken over 500 Test wickets would notice it.

The good news is that he has been able to put weight through his foot again and so could be back soon.

But without him we've proved we're not a one man attack. We never have been. Over the years whenever we've needed people to step up they have done. Shane and Brett produced fantastic bowling.

The game probably changed yesterday with the over from Freddie Flintoff which took out Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting. It was a great piece of bowling.

At the time you're concerned only with your own team, but as an opponent you appreciate good cricket and that was top quality.

Freddie produced another beauty to get me out, I don't mind admitting. I went up the order because we wanted to try to play straight and soak up a bit of time and I just got beaten by a good ball. It swung late and if you get one of those early in the innings there's not a lot you can do about it.

It was ironic because I was completely organised and prepared to bat - unlike in the first innings when I must be honest I got caught on the hop.

I was answering a call of nature when the wicket fell and had to dash out. I knew I wouldn't be timed out or anything, but it was a bit embarrassing - just one of those things.

The atmosphere at Edgbaston has been fantastic. I kop a lot of grief, we all do, but especially the guys who field in the deep and I'm one of those and my hair makes me an easy target.

I would be surprised if they didn't pick on me. I must admit I don't hear a lot because you focus on the game, but what I do, I have a chuckle at. I love the atmosphere.

One thing somebody did have a pop about was the radio interview I gave back home when I expressed some concern about the security situation.

I certainly don't think the tour is likely to be called off, but I don't think I'm the only person who would be nervous if we were in London and more problems happened.

I was in London when there were problems a couple of weeks ago. I had just walked to a pub across the road from our hotel to have a drink and a feed with a couple of the other guys.

I had my wife with me, who is pregnant, and suddenly the police were moving everybody back because of some concern over a bus.

I didn't want to stay in a smoky pub and neither did my wife, but we were told we had to stay there.

There was a bus right in front of our hotel that a bag had been left on. Naturally, they were suspicious of it.

Of course that sort of thing worries you, and that was what I said, but there's no way the tour is in jeopardy.

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